Hybrid effect of fibre mesh and short fibres on the biaxial bending behaviour of TRC

Abstract

Textile mesh-reinforced concrete (TRC) and mortar have been studied in recent years. However, current testing methods are focused on simply supported members under uniaxial bending; these are inadequate for analysis of a biaxially tensioned fibre mesh and incapable of revealing the biaxial behaviour of a TRC panel. Moreover, the fibres can be damaged by the alkalinity of concrete. To overcome this inadequacy, a series experiment of two-way panels is carried out. The methodology used here consists of the experiment and analysis of experimental data, including evaluation of the alkali resistance, biaxial bending capacity and toughness of two-way slabs. Suitable fibres are selected based on alkali resistance; the effect of fibre meshes on the biaxial bending capacity of the two-way TRC slabs is studied. By addressing the disadvantages of brittle fibre mesh-reinforced concrete compared with conventional reinforced-concrete panels, a significant improvement in the ductility of a TRC panel with steel fibres is achieved. Following the analysis of the experimental data, it can be concluded that a conventional steel mesh with reinforcement ratio of 0·2% can be replaced by a combination of glass or basalt fibre mesh and steel fibres.